Knuckles Pan: To the Rescue!
One day, Knuckles the Echidna and his friends were playing Follow the Leader. As usual, Knuckles was the leader. Angel, the Lost Boys, Miles "Tails" Prower, Charmy Bee, and Amy Rose were following him around Neverland. Before long, they came to a stream. "Let's cross it the fun way!" Knuckles suggested. He grabbed a rope, swung out over the water, and landed on the other side. His friends followed, until only Tails was left. "Tallyho!" Tails cried, and he leaped for the rope. He missed it and fell into the stream. Splash! As Charmy helped him out of the water, Tails grumbled, "Why does Knuckles always have to be in charge? Just once I'd like to do things my way!" Tails decided he wanted to show Knuckles how brave and clever he was. A little farther down the trail, he had an idea. "Hey," he cried, "I've got it!" "Got what?" asked Charmy. Tails said, "You'll see." He took Charmy's hand, and together they slipped off into the forest. Tails and Charmy disguised themselves as Badniks, hopped in a small boat, and began to row toward a pirate ship in the harbor. But it wasn't just any ship-----it was Dr. Eggman's! He and Knuckles were sworn enemies. "Where are we going?" asked Charmy. "To spy on Eggman!" Tails said excitedly. "We'll take the information back to Knuckles." As the boys reached Eggman's ship, they heard a noise. Ticktock! "What's that?" asked Charmy. Just then, two white eyes poked out of the water. It was Vector the Crocodile. Once, he'd swallowed an alarm clock, and now he always made a ticking sound. "Be careful!" Tails warned. Tails and Charmy climbed over the side of the ship carefully. Tails spotted two mops and a bucket. He whispered to his brother, "Pretend you're washing the deck." A moment later, Scratch and Grounder came around the corner. "Ahoy, mateys!" Scratch called. "Can't say that we remember you. "But whoever you are, you're doing a fine job!" Grounder added. When Scratch and Grounder were gone, Tails turned to Charmy and said, "Come on, we've got some spying to do. I'm going to look for Eggman." He found a telescope and climbed up the rigging. Scratch and Grounder walked by again. "Do you see anything?" Scratch asked. "Uh, a storm, actually!" Tails blurted out. "We should tell the doctor," Scratch replied. He and Grounder hurried off. Tails turned to Charmy. "This is perfect. They'll lead us right to Eggman!" They followed Scratch and Grounder at a safe distance and saw them enter a cabin. "Stand watch. I'll be right back," Tails whispered to his brother. When Tails peered through the porthole of the cabin, he saw Eggman. Unfortunately, the doctor also saw him. Unlike Scratch and Grounder, Eggman could tell that Tails was not a real badnik. "Spies!" thundered Eggman. "Get them, boys!" "We're doomed!" Charmy cried. "Not necessarily," said Tails. The robot chicken and robot mole came running out of the cabin. When they saw the boys, Grounder said, "Oh, it's you!" "Indeed it is," said Tails. "We've been checking the safety of the doctor's quarters, and I must say that we're shocked. Why, spies could look through portholes as easily as I did!" Scratch and Grounder led the boys inside. "What's the meaning of this?" Eggman demanded. The robot chicken stammered, "Th-they said they were checking on your safety, doctor." The robot mole nervously replied, "And I must say, they're hard workers. Just today we saw them swabbing the deck and standing lookout." The doctor looked Tails straight in the eye. "Yes," he agreed. "I think they're doing a fine job. After all, with the attack only three days away, security is more important than ever." "Attack?" said Tails. Eggman said, "Yes, on Knuckles' hideout." He turned to the robots. "Release them, boys. We've got work to do." As soon as the boys were outside, Tails whispered to Charmy, "We have to warn Knuckles!" Quickly, they climbed over the side of the ship and began rowing toward shore. Eggman laughed as he watched through his telescope. "They'll lead us straight to Knuckles!" he said. Scratch straightened his belt as he and Grounder looked at Eggman. "Y-you mean, they really ''were ''spies?" "Of course," the doctor replied. "They're some of Knuckles' gay, hairless little friends. They don't know yet, but now they are working for us!" A short time later, Tails and Charmy reached the shore. "My plan worked!" Tails cried. "Wait till Knuckles hears!" "Uh-oh," Charmy said. "I hear ticking. Like a clock. Like a clock in a crocodile. Like a clock in that crocodile that follows Eggman!" The boys looked at each other. "Dr. Eggman?" they said. "Run!" They scrambled up a hill, with Tails leading the way. When Tails reached the top, he called, "This way, Charmy!" But there was no answer... "Charmy?" Tails said, looking over his back. Eggman was standing at the bottom of the hill. Beside him, Humpty and Dragonbreath had Charmy in their clutches. "Keep going, Tails!" cried Charmy. "Don't stop!" A few minutes later, Tails burst into Knuckles' hideout. "Come quick!" he yelled. Knuckles, Amy, and the others gathered around him. Sonic told them what had happened to Charmy and that Eggman was planning to attack. Knuckles shook his head. "If Eggman knew where I lived, why would he have followed you? I think it was a trick." "He knew Charmy and I weren't badniks?" asked Tails. "I'm afraid so," Knuckles said. Tails groaned. "I've made a terrible mess of things. Will you help?" "Sure. I've got a plan," Knuckles replied. "Let's go!" On the pirate ship, Scratch and Grounder locked Charmy in a cage, while Eggman tried to find out where the secret entrance to Knuckles' hideout was. Just then, they heard a girl's voice say, "Eggman?" It was Amy. She was standing on the ship's plank. "Watch the boy, men," Eggman said. "I'll be right back!" As soon as Eggman was gone, Tails looked into the porthole. "Not you again!" Scratch exclaimed, as he and Grounder chased after Tails. The Lost Boys hurried inside and set Charmy free from the cage. Then they climbed down into a boat that was waiting below. When the boys were all safe, Tails opened his umbrella, leaped over the side of the ship, and floated down to join them. Then the Lost Boys cast off and headed for shore. Meanwhile, on the ship's plank, Eggman reached out to grab Amy. At that instant, a red blur streaked through the air and scooped her up. It was Knuckles the Echidna! "Blast you, Knuckles!" Eggman cried. He lunged forward and fell overboard, snagging the plank with his hook. "Scratch! Grounder!" Eggman cried as Vector circled below. Later that evening, Knuckles and his friends sat in their hideout, talking about the rescue. "When Charmy and I met Eggman, how did he know we weren't badniks?" asked Tails. "Badniks don't usually carry umbrellas," Knuckles said, smiling. Everyone laughed. What an adventure they'd had! Category:Read Along Stories Category:Peter Pan series